Nights
by SocialGraceful
Summary: Who and what goes bump in the night in the magical world?
1. James and Lilly

Nights: James and Lilly

A certain part of each of them missed it. That this kind of proximity would have led to flushed cheeks, ruffled hair and clothing and shortened breaths, gasps. But that had been outweighed by the reality of their marriage. That neither of them would want anything more than this ultimate comfort. Lily leaning her head against James' shoulder as she read a book held against her knees. The radio playing some soft orchestral piece. James finger twirling, releasing and twirling again in a few locks of her hair. Harry cleaned, fed and asleep. After months of blood, triumph, failure, violence and glory it was nice for just this.

It wasn't to say that their ardor for one another had cooled in anyway. There was already talk of adding a second child to the family. Making Harry the protector of a little brother or sister. But for right now. Everything was as perfect as it could be. Warm fire. Full stomaches. Safety. Safety.

The fear was still there. In the darkest corner they could each find to banish it. That the tranquility would be shattered by the sounds of alarm. Of trust betrayed and death incoming. All it would take would be a word and everything lost. The house seemed to forever be holding its breath. Life as taut as a violin string.

James glanced at the clock. In a few hours it would be November 1st.


	2. Hermione Granger

Nights: Hermione Granger

One more page. Always just one more page. One page more and she'll find the answer. One page more and the day will be saved. One page and that crucial answer that guarantees a 100 percent will be there. One page. Just one more.

But tonight, just one more page to find out if Heathcliff would get his happy ending. The one that he had been searching for. She leaned into her pillows, the candle beside her glowing orange. Yes, there were other joys in life. There were other things better than this. But at this very moment she was hard pressed to find them.

She could rest later. Infinity and imagination were landscapes that needed to be explored now.


	3. The Marauders

Nights: The Marauders

Let them call him a freak. Curse his name. Monster. Animal. Werewolf. Who needed them anyway? Not tonight. Not while the moon is full and twelve hours of freedom stretched out before them.

Through the forbidden forest. A group of acromantulas standing in their way, looking for an easy meal. Wrong number as they leap over them with ease. Their pincers snapping in anger as they kept running.

How far could they get in six hours? How fast could they possibly go? Harder. The great wolf hound and wolf panting, tongues lolling out of their mouths. The barrel chest of the stag moving in and out. Working up a lather. The rat hiding in the pouch around the wolf hound's neck.

Maybe they could make it to the mountains. Maybe they could see a giant. Maybe they could fight a giant. That would be a memory. A story to tell over and over again until their final days. Tell their children. Tell their wives and girlfriends. Tell everyone.

Later though. Tonight, they were born to run.


	4. Mad-Eye Moody

Nights: Mad-Eye Moody

The firewhiskey was strong and bitter but warming on this December night. If he had a fire, a blanket, a book, a cup of cocoa, decorations, furnishings, a Christmas tree, a family, friends or just about anything that was comfortable this would be somewhat homey. But home is where the heart is, not where the work is.

And tonight was a messy bit of work.

Four wizards. Stealing Muggle gold to melt it down and turn it into counterfeit galleons. He wouldn't normally have gotten involved in something so mundane but at their last robbery, something had gone wrong and something nasty had happened. It had turned the stomach of one of his apprentices. Tonks had kept her lunch to herself though, he was proud of that.

He took another drink. He was generally cranky. One drink made him ornery, two made him violent and a third would put him in the place to do the most damage. He reserved that for special occasions.

He took a pull. Then a longer one.

He still had his wits about him but a smile was appearing on his lips. He would bring them into the Ministry but it would be his way. The only true way.

He heard four cracks and then laughing. He listened hard to the conversation. Then he quickly glanced through the walls and saw them, identified them. He rose from the chair. No shake to his legs or hands. Good.

Time to wish some idiots a happy Christmas.


	5. Dumbledore and Hermione

Nights: Dumbledore and Hermione

The gargoyle moved aside and he stepped down the spiral staircase. He thought as he often did, after the great thoughts had been tucked away in his mind or his pensieve about how lucky he had been to come here. To stand as the headmaster of this school and be so well regarded. It didn't make him feel better or that he was better but it did make him happy nonetheless. Just like the moonlight pouring through the windows as he passed them. It struck his hair, silver on silver.

He passed Filch on one his nightly patrols. Filch reported that as far as he could tell, all was well. Dumbledore thanked him for his service and moved on. He kept walking, stopping to speak with a group of house elves busy with their cleaning. He inquired after Winky and Dobby. They told him that those two were fine while glancing nervously at one another. Scared that he might punish them with days off and payment. Dumbledore sighed to himself and kept walking.

It was eventually that he came to the door of the library. He glanced inside to see a candle burning its way out. He pushed open the door and wondered how Ms. Pince could have been so forgetful. It was then that he saw the bushy hair sticking up from the back of a chair.

There in the dim light, he smiled to himself and went to the girl. He looked at the parchment that she had been writing on. It was a list of counterspells, curses, hexes and jinxes. When Harry had first come to the school, he had given the boy his father's cloak and thought that he had given him no better weapon than that. But then the boy had chosen his two friends, arming himself with Hermione's intelligence and shielding himself with Ron's loyalty. When he saw the three interacting, it made him think that Voldemort could never prepare for what they would could accomplish. That made him happy.

He spoke softly, gathering up the child's books, quills and parchments. Then with a soft crack a female house elf appeared next to him. He explained what needed to be done and she nodded. Grasping the backpack with one hand placing a gentle one besides on Hermione's neck they disappeared.

Dumbledore blew out the candle, deciding that it was best if he get some rest as well.


	6. George and Angelina

Nights: George Weasley

She reached over to the other side of the bed. The cold that greeted her touch, let her know that he wasn't there anymore. She got up, holding her ever growing stomach with her one hand and reaching for her robe with the other. She then shuffled out of the bedroom and downstairs towards the living room.

She found him staring into the fire. He heard nothing when he was in these states. She would try and wake him sometimes, from those screaming, thrashing nightmares. She wished that there was more that she could for him. But she knew there wasn't. She wanted to kiss him. To make him feel better and it did sometimes but never enough.

He didn't acknowledge her hand on his shoulder immediately. It took a while before he snapped out of it.

"Oi, you shouldn't be out of bed like that," George said rising. "Won't be long now, could set it off you know."

"It's a baby not a bomb," Angelina said with a smile.

"And it'll be a looker too. Should be with half of you in there."

"Come back to bed."

"Right. Sorry."

"I understand."

She didn't. Not yet anyway. She wouldn't know until a few decades had passed between them. If he got sick and old before her. If he fell one day and didn't rise. If she woke and he didn't.

She wanted a girl. She had always wanted a little girl. But now...

She still wanted a girl. But it would be nice to give him a son. She knew what he would want to name him. She wouldn't have it any other way. The thought of her child made her smile despite having never met him/her yet. Why not name it after that boy that made her and the others laugh so many times? After the boys that spent two weeks in detention when that Slytherin called her a nasty name and they jinxed him with donkey ears and a tail.

None of the teachers got it. None of the punishments ever stuck because they never separated them. Maybe that was because no one could ever think to do such a thing. It was an unbreakable vow with the universe. They should never be separated.

She could bring him back in some small way. Bring him back to George. It was a gift. Like the gift that he gave her every day. Love. Happiness. Laughter. But there was still some time before...

She felt wetness running down her legs. A lot of it.

"GEORGE!" she yelled.


End file.
